The Long Game
by A Hopeless Romantic
Summary: Maya tells Josh that she is 'in it for the long game'. She just doesn't realize that someone else is also playing. A decade long look at Maya Hart's life. Starts of Joshaya but turns into full blown Lucaya.


**Alright, here it is. The reason I haven't posted anything in 3 weeks is due to this monster fic (monster fic to me). It sits at 16000+ words, far past the original 8000-10000 words I had originally planned. I may have a problem. Seriously though, It is a labor of love and a dedication to the lucaya community. I wanted it done before Girl meets Yearbook came out, but it overwhelmed me. I hope you enjoy it. It's kinda my pride and joy as of right now.**

* * *

 **7th Grade**

* * *

It's nearing the end of the school year when it happens. Riley calls them all over for 'Family Game night' and Maya feels like something is going to happen. She's not sure what it is, but she thinks it will be Mr. Matthews' big freak out that will be the big highlight of the night. It's not until Auggie walks in with Joshua Matthews that her hearts hint at a different possibility.

The game night morphs into a revolution of sorts with Riley seeking independence from her father's rule. Partners get switched around like musical chairs until Riley loops her arm through hers and even though she wishes it was Uncle Boing, Maya is glad. Truth be told, there is no one on this earth that Maya would go on a journey of life with than Riley Matthews. Maya really hopes they get to go backpacking through Europe some day, even though she believes hope is for suckers.

The night continues and she learns things. She learns that Josh calls his mother "MA!" in a nasally, slightly immature voice, while Lucas says "momma" softly and with a mild helping of fear. Huh, maybe he has been 'put in the shed' before. But that would mean he has been anything other then 'Lucas the Good' and Maya refuses to believe that. She also learns that Riley wants to grow up to be just like her mother, strong and fierce. It makes Maya proud to know such a strong and independent woman. She hopes she can grow up to be like that too. She learns that Auggie and Ava are somehow the perfect example of a couple, and she's surprised by the fact that she's unsurprised.

Somehow, Riley gets it in her head that she wants to play the full version of this board game. She calls it 'the long game', and Maya thinks the phrase is full of meaning but she's not sure what it is yet. Lucas moans that he's never going to go home and laments at the thought. Maya tosses a game piece at him and rolls her eyes. Its a silly comment, but sweet too. She finds herself a little jealous of all her friends with good relationships with their mothers.

Birds are chirping when they finally finish the game. It took seven hours, give or take, and Maya doesn't mind it one bit. Topanga pulls out blankets and extra pillows as she insists that everyone stay and sleep in. Parents were informed hours ago and the offer is sweetened by the promise of Saturday morning brunch when they all wake up. Everyone goes to bed tired but happy with the outcome. Maya falls asleep replaying her last conversation with Josh. "I'm in it for the long game." she said. That must have been the big moment she had sensed. At least that what she thinks. No, she's sure. Probably.

Later, in the afternoon, after everyone is full from the largest breakfast ever, she waves goodbye to everyone and walks out with Lucas and Farkle. They all laugh as they remember parts of the previous night and when they get outside Farkle waves to them both before darting across the street. Maya stretches her arms above her head trying to work out the kinks when Lucas says, "I had fun last night. I hope we get to do it again soon."

Maya smiles over at him, and watches him, all bronze arms and sea foam eyes and replies, "Yeah, me too." Lucas nods at her and before turning away on his trek home, calls out "See you on Monday, Maya."

Maya has already turned in the other direction as she half yawns, "See you around Lucas" She winds up being so tired she doesn't realize that it's the first time she has called him 'Lucas' and not 'Huckleberry' or 'Ranger Rick' when they were alone.

* * *

 **8th Grade**

* * *

She tries to play it casual first, forcing herself not to make eye contact with Uncle Boing as he walks in and greets the Matthews family. Riley keeps telling her that nothing is going to happen because there is a three year age gap but it falls on deaf ears. She makes it out the door, with some sense of false 'maturity' before she winds up caving and races in to jump on his back. There goes her dignity, out the window. Her heart leaps when she reads the words 'Congratulations' and 'four years at NYU'. Then it plummets when he says he's going to a party at the university, on campus, where there are college girls and sorority girls and intelligent girls and sporty girls and all kinds of girls that represent something she doesn't want to consider. Because even thought she still doesn't believe in hope, she is willing to fight for what she wants. So she tells Riley she will be sleeping over tonight and then sneaking out to NYU. Riley is adamant that she should go along with Maya (when she's not confused at the concept of a party starting at 10PM) in order to be her surrogate conscience.

Later that night, after making a fake Riley to sleep in the bed, and sneaking onto a college campus, they find themselves outside of the room Josh is in... flirting with two pretty college girls. Maya shakes her head and turns around and begs Riley to just take her home. And Riley, bless her heart, says something about 'bold women making bold choices' as she pushes Maya into the room to confront this fear. Conversations begin and feelings spill forth. Josh realizes that Maya knows him very well and Maya realizes that college girls can be nice and will stick up for her. One of them tells her that in a couple of years, she will be 18 and he will be 21 and three years won't seem so far apart. She thinks about that as Josh walks her and Riley back home. She said she was in it for the long game, so she has to start growing up. The long game will require maturity and a couple of lessons she hasn't learned yet.

When they get back from school the next day, Maya tells Cory and Topanga the truth about everything. About how it was her plan, about how Riley came to keep her safe and sane, about how Josh walked them home; everything. When Cory asks why she is coming clean, Maya explains that she wants to grow up and be a better as an adult than she is as a child and that taking responsibility is part of it. Cory smiles widely and tells Topanga that she learned that from his class.

Katy Hart winds up grounding her for a few months and insists that Maya come straight to 'Topanga's' after school so Katy can watch her while she works. Maya accepts the punishments because she thinks it's what Josh would want her to do. She falls asleep that night mumbling about the long game, trying to embed it into her brain so that its all she thinks about.

* * *

A few weeks later Lucas volunteers for detention (she really wants to know what he texted Mr. Matthews that got him detention in 2 seconds) and leans over his desk to say "I'm just like you now." She tries not to think about how excited he is to be like her when she's been trying to be better then 'just Maya'. But the thought is there, whispering 'Maybe being me isn't that bad if someone else is trying so hard to be like me'.

She winds up dividing the class up between Riley and herself and is a little shocked when Lucas wants to be part of her 'Mayaville'. She welcomes him into the clan and they all go a bit crazy without any good kids and it ends in another of Mr. Matthews lessons that she should have seen coming. But the weird thing is when Lucas walks in the next day and grins commenting that he "had fun in Mayaville" and would "do it again a heartbeat", she finds that she isn't thinking about the long game anymore or growing up too fast.

* * *

 **9th Grade/ High School Freshman**

* * *

They start at John Q. Adams High next week so Cory and Topanga decided to throw a big 'Back to School' party for all of them. It morphs into a 'Back to School/Start of College/Start of Elementary/Start of a new job' party because Auggie is starting elementary school, Josh is starting his year at NYU and Cory begins his new job as a high school History teacher at John Q. Adams High. ("How is that even possible!" Maya screams while Riley rambles about parental conspiracy theories and never being able to date if her father follows her around school.)

The party is in full swing when Maya sees Josh step outside onto the fire escape. She sneaks out through Riley's window and joins him staring out at the New York night sky. Lucas has complained to her about not being able to see the blanket of stars that are really out there, but Maya is fine with what she's got. Josh smiles over at her but there's apprehension in his eyes so she waits patiently for him to open up. After random comments about the party inside and laughing about Cory's antics as a brother and a teacher Josh finally turns to her and tells her about his fears. He's not ready for college; all of his friends are in Philadelphia; what if he fails; what if he picked the wrong classes; what if he disappoints Cory and Eric and his parents? All the questions come tumbling out and Maya is not sure what to say. She's never seen this side of him, the side that isn't 100% confident and full of swagger. Where's the boy who oozes determination, the guy who is as comfortable being a game show host as much as he is at being a teenager? Where's the 'cool uncle'?

Josh rambles about, talking himself out off and then back into college life. Maya listens quietly to all his fears and doubts, her only contact with him being her hand on his elbow. It's eerie for her to hear it all because he's vocalizing her fears as well. She knows it's going to be different from now on. Even though she has Riley with her, she will be taking different classes from her. What if she winds up in a math class and her perky best friend is not sitting at the desk to her right? What if she fails? What if she disappoints Riley and Cory and Topanga and Shawn and her mother? Oh god, she's not ready for this.

Both of them just stand there, looking out over the street below in silence before Josh turns to her. He smiles at her and thanks her for caring enough to follow him out and listen to him. He whispers that he 'appreciates' her and who she is to him. Maya's heart starts to beat faster and she blinks at his shining eyes. She wonders if he will kiss her, here and now, when they are both venerable and locked in an intimate moment. One of his hands rise and sits at her waist and she thinks 'This is it!' Her eyes flutter closed and she holds her breath, only for Josh to turn her towards the window and say that they should probably get back to the party. She spends the rest of the night confused and embarrassed and tries to concentrate on the party and conversations instead of the fact that she is going to start high school without even having her first kiss.

* * *

It's two weeks later when the pressure starts to get to her. She has two classes without Riley and one of them is with the strictest teacher in the whole school. She has homework on top of essays and projects and its only the second week of classes! Farkle and Lucas have both joined clubs or teams that take up their time and keep them late after classes so none of them walk home together anymore. She's not sure what she's doing anymore and her support structure is fading away and she can already see the disappointment on her mother's face. She gets detention on Thursday for running in the hall (she was trying to get to class on time!) and when she gets out she realizes that the art exhibit she was going to do her essay on, the one she's been looking forward to all week, is now closed. That's when everything falls apart. She's frustrated and angry and overwhelmed and alone and it's all about to bubble out. She rushes to the nearest empty classroom before she collapses into a mess. And that's where Lucas finds her.

She forgot they were supposed to meet up after his practice. When she mentioned that she had gotten detention to Riley, Farkle and him at lunch he offered to stay after practice and walk her home. She had waved him off, but he insisted that he wanted to. He must have seen everything, the angry stomp, the tears welling in her eyes, her breakdown, everything. She's still sobbing as he sits down by her and gathers her into his arms and just holds her.

They sit there in the empty classroom, in front of the teachers table, surrounded by chairs and desks, near the blackboard filled with equations someone forgot to erase. Even when Maya has stopped crying, they just sit there, listening to each others breathing. She doesn't turn to him when she speaks, but she tells him the whole thing. All her fears and insecurities, about how she's not ready, about fearing she will fail Riley and herself, about how she isn't smart enough for these classes and she's about to crush all the hope they have for her. Lucas listens to her patiently but as soon as she is done, he tells her she is wrong. She turns around, furious, because she just poured her heart out and is in need of some damn compassion and here he is throwing it back at her. Who the hell does he think he is?

Lucas looks her in the eyes, resolute in the face of her fury. He tells her she is the strongest person he has ever met. That she has been through everything this city has thrown at her and come out like iron. That no matter what world she was in, she would do fine in. That when her mother was working double shifts at the Nighthawk diner, she raised herself. That she is Riley's support, unwaveringly, even though Maya might be more in need of support. That she can never fail any of them, especially him because she is Maya, and that is ten times more then he thought he deserved. He tells her she reminds him of a diamond; shiny and beautiful, but renowned for its strength.

Maya sits slack-jawed. He just called her beautiful. And said it wasn't nearly as important as her strength as a woman, a trait he clearly seems to respect. He has so much faith in her, holds her so high, that it's shining out of his eyes in a softness as he takes in all of her. And he's looking at her like this work of art that he's seeing for the first time. And somehow, as she looks at him in wonder and he looks at her in reverence, they both lean in.

It's the second week of classes when she kisses Lucas Friar, sitting on the floor of an empty math classroom. She doesn't have anything to compare it to (except for that time Farkle went all 'Shiatsu going after a chew toy' on her palm), so she doesn't know if it's any good, but it seems to be (if the clenching of her fingers in his shirt and his arm tightening around her waist are any indication). It's her first kiss and feels like it's a summer's day when it rains for a little while before it stops and the rainbows comes out. They both blink at each other when they realize what just happened, before each of them leap up and turn away in embarrassment. Lucas walks her home, true to his word, but neither of them speak of the kiss.

In fact, neither of them mention it for almost four years.

* * *

 **10th Grade/ High School Sophomore**

* * *

It's her birthday then next time she sees Uncle Boing. Her mother has decorated 'Topanga's' and the whole place looks brand new. She has streamers and balloons and a giant banner that says 'Happy Sweet Sixteen' hanging above the cash register. After she smiles and accepts hugs from school friends who crowd around her she sees the tall Matthews boy sitting in the corner talking with Cory and Topanga. Her heart skips a beat and she can feel her face heat up slightly. College has been good to him. His tee clings to him and he still wears the beanie that makes her stomach do flips.

About halfway through the night, Josh wanders over to her to wish her properly. He puts his arms around her and pulls her to him and she's close enough to smell his aftershave. He smiles down at her and whispers in her ear "Happy Birthday kid," and even though it makes her stomach drop when he still calls her 'kid' she grins and wraps her arms around his neck in a hug. As always, they both do their best to avoid awkward conversations and talk about other things. His college classes, her artwork, Riley finally dating Lucas (they decided to give it another shot a month ago), Eric's re-election campaign for Senator; anything really.

It's not until the walk to the counter to get refills of their drinks that he asks her if she's seeing someone. In-between thoughts of ' the long game' and 'dreams coming true' and 'YAY!' she stutters out that she is still single. She says it with a hopeful look in her eyes, holding her breath. A full minute passes before she realizes he hasn't said anything. She glances up to see him looking at her; really looking at her, like he's trying to understand something, like he sees something that she doesn't see yet. Finally he tells her "Life's more fun with someone to enjoy it with." It sounds so strange because he doesn't say it with his usual flirty tone and humor. He sounds serious, like it's advice instead of a pick up line. Huh, Josh Matthews really does care.

The sentiment is sweet but not necessary. She has already learned that life is more enjoyable when Riley is around. It's a lesson she's never going to forget cause Riley wrote it onto her heart in her loopy, cursive print. Surprisingly, Farkle also make her life more enjoyable, to the point where she can't see it without him in it. It stops her in her tracks however, when she realizes that Lucas is part of that club too. He's always been one of her best friends and they are as close as can be, but she never realized how deeply ingrained he has become. Lucas Friar makes getting up in the morning and living life easy. And she has never thought of living her life as easy, until now.

Josh is staring at her still. Looking at her with eyes that bore into her and lay everything out to bare. This caring side of him is making her blush slightly. It seems like Uncle Boing is a decent person who actually wants the best for her and to be her friend and she has only seen him as a trophy or a chase. Maybe she should look at him differently?

* * *

It's nearing the end of the night and most of the party has died down. The only people still in 'Topanga's' are family members and her closest friends. Maya's mother has decided that no birthday party is complete without the mandatory 'Open presents while everyone eats cake'. Maya huffs and puffs but gives in to Katy's pleading. She tears into the first set of gifts, making sure to hug and thank all the gift givers, before her pace settles into a slower removal of wrapping paper.

Midway through the large lot of presents, she looks around the room to see Lucas grin at her as she picks up a well decorated package, wrapped in a green bow. From the size of it, she can tell its clothes of some sort. Probably a coat or a nice blouse like some of the other presents she's gotten from some of the grown ups have been. 'Lucas is such an old fogey.' she thinks. Honestly, what person their age buys clothes as a present? The wrapping is torn off and she lifts the cover off to see that she is right, it is a clothing item, just not what she was expecting. Carefully folded in the box is leather jacket. It doesn't have an inner fur coat or a velvet lining with pockets, it's a straight up, rough and tumble, biker, leather jacket. She stopped buying cheap leather clothes from 'Demolition' a few years ago in favor for softer, more colorful clothes. It had happened after Shawn bought that pile of nicer clothes back in Middle school and Maya thought 'These are nicer then anything I own and they make me look more grown up. Maybe I'll wear these from now on.' Except that she has missed her torn leggings and purple jackets and 80's rock band tee-shirts. She wants this jacket, because its beautiful and perfect and reminds her of a time when she would dance in the subway to Weasel's drums and high-five the cops monitoring the stations. She wants it, but she's not sure she's supposed to anymore.

As she lifts the jacket up to feel the material and study the zipper she notices something. There's stitching on the back. It's silver thread, woven into the black leather on the back spelling out 'Hart'. Its simple but stands out and the end of the 't' in 'Hart' trails off and then loops like smoke trails from a bike. "Its awesome."

"I'm glad you like it," Lucas says from his seat next to Riley. He's arm is thrown over her shoulder but he's looking straight at Maya with a grin that is going to tear his face in two. He tells her the story of how he was just wandering around the mall with Riley when they came across it. He says he thought of her immediately when he laid eyes on it. Riley pipes up then to tell her how she had suggested that it needed a more personal touch at which point the brunette gets a teasing glint in her eyes and nudges Lucas. Hesitating, Lucas tells of his idea to print Maya's last name on the jacket, how he went to his mother for needle and thread. He glares at them when laughter breaks out amongst them and defends himself saying that stitching was an important skill to have when working on his uncle's ranch. Maya shuts him up though by asking how the flourish at the end of the 't' is a 'necessary' skill on the ranch. He turns away red-faced as the others chuckle.

Later that night, as she sits on her bed looking over all her presents, Maya traces her moniker on the jacket. She repeats the action, imagining all the effort he went through to complete such intricate needlework. She closes her eyes and can picture him stabbing his thumb and squinting his eyes trying to tie the thread to the needle. Her mind's eye draws an image of him looping the flourish and grinning at his hard work. Her eyes fly open and she takes in the gifts at her feet. There are some beautiful items, expensive items, even thoughtful items that are perfect for her (Riley got her a catalog of all the art museums they are going to visit when they backpack around Europe), but nothing was MADE for her. The only item that someone had actually worked on was clutched in her arms. It's special. It's a reminder to her to never forget who she is and to be proud of herself and she is going to treat it as such. She pulls out dresses and blouses and jeans and shirts, everything that will pair with this jacket. She mixes and matches, and spends hours forming combinations that will work. Because she is 16 now; she is her own person. She decides who she is and who she wants to be, and if she wants to wear a leather jacket while rocking a dress then she will. She's going to celebrate her past self as well as her present self from now on.

* * *

 **11th Grade/ High School Junior**

* * *

Sometime during winter break, Josh comes home with his leg in a cast. Cory, Eric and Josh decided to spend some 'brotherly bonding time' skiing up in the mountains for a weekend and they return to Manhattan on a Sunday night with an empty tank and the youngest Matthews wrapped in plaster. Josh waves off Maya and Riley's concerns and tells them he got it skiing the 'Widowmaker' on a bet he wound up winning, but when he goes off to the bathroom Cory whispers that he twisted his ankle on the Bunny slope trying to impress a pair of girls. Maya laughs so hard she doesn't realize she would normally be jealous.

In between the numerous Christmas specials on television, Maya talks with Josh about college. He's more confident about keeping up with his work load now and doesn't doubt himself. He tells her about the Fine Arts program one of his dorm buddies is in and Maya's eyes widen in excitement of the prospect of enrolling in it. Riley has been more and more convincing about them both going to the same college together, and while she wasn't sure about it before, Maya is starting to warm up to the idea. They talk through all three 'The Santa Clause' movies (Eric throws popcorn at them and makes 'shush-ing' sounds when they talk during the end scenes) and Maya gets more comfortable with having hope for her future.

The more time she spends thinking about her future, the more she pictures things like diplomas in Art History, teaching others about the expressiveness of art and galleries of paintings and sketches with her name signed in the corner. She wonders if Riley will still keep an open window for her in college(she will); if Farkle will ever rule the world (he won't but he'll come close); if Lucas will still tip his imaginary cowboy hat when she playfully argues with him six years from now (he will, every time).

Riley passes her hot cocoa and asks if they will take the same courses in college and Maya insists that it's set in stone because, hey, who else is she going to copy homework from? The girls sit up with Josh and talk with him about college for hours. Cory, Topanga, Auggie and Eric have all gone to bed and the three of them are sitting on the couch in a dimly-lit living room while Riley talks about being a Gamma Gamma girl and Maya imagines grand sculptures and mesmerizing paintings inspired by the open environment of university life. They say good-night eventually and head of to bed where Maya is finally amazed to realize that she spent an entire night next to Josh, thinking about a bright and happy future; and not once was he in it.

* * *

Lucas and Riley break-up a week before Spring starts. Maya spends the whole week walking the fine line between comforting without coddling and gently asking without badgering Riley with questions. Turns out the break-up was mutual, they both realized they 'loved each other' but weren't 'in love with each other.' Riley says she has come to understand the the perfect story of Cory and Topanga isn't necessarily the story everyone gets, but they all get a happy ending if they try. As the girls curl up together in a thick comforter Riley confesses she 'wants a big epic love that catches her breath', and as nice and easy as her relationship with Lucas was, 'it felt like they were just together because they both thought it was what they were supposed to do.' Lucas says something similar. He explains that he treated the relationship as something fragile and was holding back from doing what he wanted and did what he thought was expected. "I'm tired of holding back all the time," he laments, his eyes taking on an indescribable look as he stares at her.

The problem is that their break-up is still a break-up. They went from being a hand-holding, kissing and spending every-waking-moment-together couple to being friends, and no-one transitions through that in one week, not even close friends like Lucas and Riley. So when Riley comes to her and freaks out that she will be paired up with Lucas for their Family and Consumer Science project, Maya understands the unspoken request. Since Riley can't partner with him, and she's not ready to watch him work so closely with another girl so soon; Maya will have to be his partner.

She meanders over to Lucas' seat when FCS starts and tells him in no uncertain terms that he is working with her for the duration of the course and he had better pull his weight because she needs the 'A'. Lucas raises and eyebrow and grins at her but makes no argument against her. When Miss Valentine, the FCS teacher, comes in she explains that the project will be graded over the course of several months and that the pairs of students will be recording and managing their own budgets for home finances. Maya groans over the fact that she has to do math in a class that is clearly not Math class. They have to plan out everything; spending habits, joint incomes, managing rent and utilities, what jobs they have, if they have kids, everything.

For the rest of Spring, Maya and Lucas spend their after-school hours alternating between her place and his. Sometimes Maya makes popcorn while he works on balancing a check book, sometimes Lucas cooks Mac' N Cheese while she calculates their after-tax earnings. Most of the evenings wind up with Maya asleep on Lucas' shoulder while he reads his English assignment. Every so often, Lucas will pass out in Maya's lap while she draws any inspiration that her muse stirs up. Some nights they stay up talking about the strong women that raised them, and their hopes for the future. He tells her he wants to go into Veterinary Medicine and she confesses that shes been thinking more and more about becoming a teacher for the arts program. Eventually Maya starts pulling out two coffee cups on instinct before the door bell even rings, and Lucas has a comforter folded near by for when Maya falls asleep on the couch. They laugh about imaginary work days and grocery shopping for pretend kids while writing their report for FCS and drawing up graphs for the presentation.

They both get an 'A' for outstanding work. Maya thinks it's a little because Ms. Valentine is a sap for Lucas' green eyes (in reality, it's because she thinks these two students are like her favorite sitcom couple), but she doesn't complain. Everything seems fine now with Riley and Lucas as time heals all wounds, even the high school ones, and Maya thinks her problems are over until her English paper is due and she decides to write about her thoughts on the future. Suddenly all that's buzzing in her mind are images of Lucas reading, two cups of coffee sitting side by side, a degree in Art History next to a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, the sound of his deep chuckle. Suddenly it's all linked to the word 'future'. When the hell did that happen?

* * *

 **12th Grade/ High School Senior**

* * *

Graduation day was once a fairytale for Maya. For the longest time she thought her path was predestined. She thought that she was fated to stay at the same level as her mother, a waitress with pancake syrup on her arms pretending to be somebody else. But now, now she's a few hours away from walking up the stage and receiving her diploma.

Riley and her arrive early because Riley, in her infinite generosity, volunteered them both to help set up the gym. Lucas is already there, dressed in a fitted white shirt and slacks, carrying heavy boards and sections of the stage and eventually they are joined by some other classmates. They finish up a few hours before graduation starts and while everyone else goes off to classrooms to change clothes, Lucas tells them that he's going to walk around the school and spend time in the rooms that he has good memories in. Maya changes into a red dress that Riley helped her pick out. The color goes well with their cap and gown and she can wear it to the graduation party afterwards. They all sit around talking through their nervousness in an attempt to prepare themselves for the event. Riley keeps running to her from across the room and throws her arms around Maya, crying and thanking her for being her best friend though out high school and teaching her to be strong. Maya thinks this funny because she was about to thank Riley for the exact same thing. Farkle gets a heartfelt embrace and she worries about her little bird that she's supposed to protect, but wound up protecting her from the bad stuff in life. Farkle just holds her close and doesn't say anything. There are no words he can think of right now that fit. Suddenly, Lucas' hand finds hers and their fingers intertwine tightly. She looks at him and softly whispers 'Huckleberry' and in that one word they have an entire conversation. Her eyes never leave his and she squeezes his hand in thanks for everything he's done for her, he squeezes right back, almost as if he knows exactly what she's saying in her silence, before he whisper 'You're welcome'. Mere moments later the door opens and the teachers announce that it's time for the big event.

Principal Cory Matthews calls out 'Maya Hart' about 15 minutes after the opening procession and Maya tries her damnedest to walk slowly in high heels so she can retrieve her diploma without tripping. Cory has this gigantic smile on his face and as she gets near he swipes across his forehead and whispers 'Proud' so that only she can hear. Maya bites the inside of her lip to prevent herself from crying and after waving to Katy and Shawn, she turns back to her seat. She can see Lucas, his diploma sitting in his chair as he stands and claps for her. He's grinning fiercely and his eyes shine with a look that he's had all year. She can't describe it but it makes her heart jump wildly for some reason. She sits down and watches for Riley and Farkle's turn to receive diplomas and she claps the loudest when Farkle gives his valedictorian speech. When the last name is called and the final diploma is dispensed, Cory presents the graduating class to the world. Caps fly everywhere.

Someone taps her on the shoulder as she leaves the gym and she turns to see Topanga and Cory smiling down at them, pride radiating off their faces. Topanga immediately engulfs her in a hug worthy of a mother bear and Maya clings to it and wraps herself in the love and pride of this woman who has been such a monumental part of her life, a woman who has taught her how to be a fierce, amazon warrior. Mere seconds after Topanga lets go of her, she is tackled by Cory. Here she cries. Because this is the man who was more of a father figure to her than her own father was. A man who came to her in her time of need even though he didn't have to and she never asked. A teacher who taught her so much more then History, and English, and Math; a teacher who taught her about life and the world. She sobs messily into his suit's jacket and can hear Riley and Topanga sniffling alongside. Cory's full on bawling, moaning about how he's not ready to see his little girls grow and leave him because soon they will both be married with kids and living in California by some other roller coaster.

After the sobfest, Maya notices someone else hanging in the background. Uncle Josh is standing there, to the side, decked out in a suit that looks really good on him. His hair is slicked back and his hands are stuffed into his pockets but she mainly notices the big smile that he gives her. She smiles back as he walks up to her and hugs her without reservation. Josh tells her he is very happy for her and she knows its true because somewhere down the line, after many years of playing the long game, Joshua Matthews has become a really good friend. The truth is she wanted to have Josh celebrate this occasion with her; not because he was important to her in a romantic way, but because he was important to her.

It's in the middle of that hug that a thought occurs to her. She's finally 18 and he's 21. They are on the same side of the age barrier that she thought was holding him back all this time. It also reminds her of something said by one of the girls who spoke to her when Riley and she snuck on to the NYU campus 4 years ago. It's true that three years don't seem so far apart now at this age, and it's true that Josh is now smarter than then teenager her was when he first started college, but Maya is smarter too. Smart enough to know what she wants out of life. Smart enough to know what she wants in her future, Smart enough to know who inspires her to be better. Smart enough to know who makes her smile and laugh and grin and just be happy. And interestingly enough, it's not Josh. But she has a feeling she knows who it is.

Eventually, Shawn and Katy make their way through the crowds to congratulate the girls. Then Farkle and his parents stop by to do the same. Amidst the hugs and crying and laughing, Maya notices that someone is missing from their little group. Lucas. His phone goes straight to voice-mail and he's not responding to any texts so she tugs at Riley's dress and whispers that she's going to locate 'Ranger Rick' and to text her if they change locations. Riley and Farkle offer to help search but Maya waves them off telling them it can't be hard to hunt down a tall Texan with sea-foam eyes and a tanned physique.

It actually is hard to find him. She searches high and low for 15 minutes before she starts wandering up and down hallways. By odd coincidence she winds up in the Math corridor when she sees one of the doors ajar. Peeking inside she finally spots her quarry, Lucas Friar, leaning by the windows staring outside. She stops beside him and joins him in his quiet reflection of the outside world. Lucas speaks first, telling her that he's been keeping something from them all. He had applied to Texas A&M University's Veterinary Medicine program and he just heard back from them. They are offering him a full ride. Maya hug him immediately, so proud and happy for him that the details don't sink in until he speaks again. He's going to accept the offer, which means that when he leaves to visit his family in Texas in a few weeks, he won't be coming back. Maya's heart drops to her stomach because even though she knew it was a possibility that some of them would go to different colleges, the idea of Lucas not being in her life just never occurred to her. She lets go of the vice grip she has on his shirt and stumbles over to the teachers desk to brace herself. After a couple minutes of emptyness, Lucas breaks the silence.

He asks her if she remembers this room that they are in. Maya turns to take in the empty chairs and tables, blackboard and posters on the wall before it dawns on her. This is the same room where she and Lucas kissed on the second week of Freshman year. Her pretty face colors at the memory of her first kiss as she twist her hands into the fabric of her red dress. She doesn't say anything though because he's still talking. Lucas tells her he wishes he was braver back then, because then he never would have let her walk out of this room without letting her know how he felt about her. He tells her that she makes him want to be a better person, that she makes him want to make a better world so that he can share it with her. He talks about how she has shown him how to be strong and be true to himself instead of just living up to expectations. He whispers that even when he wins a big game, the best part isn't the legion of fans cheering for him, it's going for celebratory milkshakes with her. He explains that whenever he thinks about the best part of his day, it always has her in it. He says he smiles and laughs and feels and is just plain happier when he's around her. Maya is so enraptured by what he's saying that she doesn't realize that he has been getting closer and closer every time he speaks. Finally he's standing right in front of her, trapping her between the desk and himself and he admits the thing that she's been fighting all this time, the one thing that Maya ruin their friendship, the one thing that will change everything. Lucas reaches a hand up and twirls her blonde locks around a finger before tucking it behind a jeweled ear and tells her he might be in love with her and his biggest regret is that he knew almost four years ago and never said anything. He looks at her, breathless and beautiful, with that glimmer in his eye which she previously thought was indescribable, but now know that it's love. Then he leans in.

He kisses her there, in the math room, and Maya thinks its the most heartbreaking kiss she has ever had. It tastes like 'almost' and 'could've been' and so much regret; like promises that were never made and lost chances she's never going to get back. She tastes salt and knows one of them is crying and it might be her because losing this boy is going to be the greatest tragedy of her life. She has kissed Lucas only once before, three and a half years ago and her heart wishes she had been brave enough then too. Because maybe then they would have gotten three and a half years of him holding her like this, kissing like they were making a moment to remember forever.

Then she remembers that he's leaving for Texas soon and after that he'll be in a college six to seven states away. Whats the point of starting something now when it's already too late? With agonizing slowness, she pushes against his chest creating more distance between them than either of them wants. Lucas looks at her with a broken gaze in his eyes and there are track marks down his cheeks. He sees the futility in their actions and softly steps back. He turns away, facing the blank blackboard while she steels her resolve. It's ironic that, once again, they find themselves in this room, listening to each other breathing.

After a span her phone buzzes and she clicks it on to see that Riley has been looking for her so they can go to the graduation party. Lucas taps her arm and nods to the door where they walk out, close enough that their fingers could entwine if they so choose. Maya knows though, not to have hope and she clenches her hand into fist, purposely digging nails into skin. When they meet up with everyone outside the school, their faces betray nothing.

The rest of their night is full of hollow smiles, fake laughter and longing glances.

* * *

 **College Freshman**

* * *

December comes faster then expected and soon its winter break. College has been hard for Maya, but thankfully she has Riley with her everyday. Riley is her rock, her foundation. Even when classes get to be overwhelming Maya knows that as soon as she gets back to her room, Riles will be there with a plate of spaghetti and an ice, cold drink. In return, Maya is the brunette's fire. She convinces Riley to go out and explore the social scene of college by dragging her to parties and clubs and cafes. Every so often she will toss Riley out of the dorm room and tell her to 'make the world her own', reflecting something Mr Matthews once told them.

Farkle is in Yale and since New Haven is less then 2 hours away, they both get to see him every other week. Every second Saturday is spent at 'Topanga's' drinking smoothies and talking about classes. It's always fun, but Maya knows their smiles are less brighter without their fourth member. Lucas has been in Texas since June, and none of them have seen him since then. He responds to the texts and emails they send him, but the replies are short and lifeless. Farkle calls him regularly but says he hangs up when asked about school. Maya's even tried continuing their game of witty banter over text, but he never seems to respond. Now, however, winter has come and Lucas is returning to New York.

The three of them meet up at a small cafe down the street from Lucas' home. Riley decides it would be easier for Lucas since he is just got back today and might not be able to meet at Topanga's, halfway across town. They are sitting down when he walks through the door and Riley immediately jumps up and yells out his name. For a split second Maya sees an odd look flash through his eyes, almost like fear or hesitation, but then its gone and he's all smiles and chuckles as he walks up to their table. He hugs everyone, as if literally trying to squeeze them into his heart and his eyes are clenched like he does whenever he's trying to commit something to memory. They start conversing about little things like how the flight was, whether he had lunch on the plane, how crowded JFK was. Eventually though, Farkle starts talking about college classes. He remarks about a science class of his that he is doing well in and a paper that the professor gave him his 900th A when Lucas reacts oddly. Maya catches what Riley and Farkle miss, Lucas froze when the grade was mentioned. She watches him carefully and picks up on other tells. His left leg is tapping nervously and his eyes are flickering to the exits. He's scared of something. Riley turns to him and inquires about Texas A&M and his face tightens like a rubber band stretched to its limit. The smile on his face is so fake she thinks she's imagining it because for as long as she has known him, Lucas Friar has smiled genuinely and naturally. He nods his head and gives some vague remark before changing the conversation and distracting them with half-truths and tall tales. Riley innocently accepts it and as soon as she and Farkle start on the next topic, Lucas excuses himself. Maya watches out of the corner of her eye as he heads for the restroom, but at the last second changes course and barrels out the door. She gets up and follows him out, waving off Riley and Farkle's inquisitive looks.

The sunlight is bright and her eyes need a second to adjust before she is able to see clearly. Lucas is nowhere in sight. She pulls out her cell phone to call him before she hears the clang of metal being punched coming from down the alley. She peeks around the corner, dread filling the pit in her stomach. The man in front of her looks like Lucas and sounds like Lucas but is a stranger to her. She has never seen a more broken and lost look haunting a person before now. His fist is buried in the jagged indentation of the dumpster and he is biting his lip hard enough that she can see blood start to trickle down. There are no tears, but his eyes are glassy, like the surface of the ocean before a storm. She bends down and wraps her arms around him, gently laying his head on her shoulder in a move reminiscent of his actions in a math class many years ago. Lucas doesn't cry but his voice is thick with the unshed tears when he explains that things really aren't good at college. He's failed a couple of his classes and his GPA is atrocious. His room mate is some rich brat in the Business management program who just parties every night, keeping him up. Lucas has been unable to study properly and he's been missing classes due to a lack of sleep. Worse, he doesn't know how to tell his mother or Farkle or Riley or her that he is betraying all the faith they put in him. His voice cracks when he whispers that he's just too far from all of them and feels so alone.

He sounds so utterly broken that she doesn't know what to do. This is her Lucas, who is as strong as a horse and as smart as Farkle; he has led sports teams and class elections and came out on top. How does this happen to him? And more importantly, how can she fix it? Because she is not going to sit idly by as the person who gave her strength and inspired her to rise above the chaos of life when they were in high school, falls into depression. She shoots a quick text to Riley saying that Lucas is feeling jet-lagged and she is taking him home before she lightly hauls him to his feet and walks him home. She goes through the motions for him and opens the door, leads him to the bedroom and tucks him into bed. Before she leaves she gathers his sad face in her hands and make him hear her promise. She promises him that she will do what ever it takes to show him that he can do this and that he is not alone in any of his struggles. As soon as she is out of the building, Maya breaks into a sprint. She needs help and only one name comes to mind. She knows of one other person who struggled in his first year of college and went through a similar experience. She needs to find Joshua Matthews.

Thankfully, Josh is still on campus. Since he became a teaching assistant he has been spending more time in New York than Philadelphia. She spots him at his favorite coffee stand on campus and drags him by the elbow to a table as he splutters confused. He gets up to yell but stops as soon as he notices her determined eyes and serious face and sits back down. Cutting to the chase Maya tells him she need his help because someone she cares about is in trouble. Josh leans forward slightly, arms on the table, and asks what he can do to help Lucas, smiling when she's shocked at his insight. Not once had she mentioned any name, but he seems to have already deduced everything by watching her actions. Maya sits down and tells him about Lucas' breakdown, about the hopelessness in his eyes and emptiness in his voice. She spares no details and mentions his jackass of a roommate, his struggle to salvage his grades and the effect that distance from his friends in New York is having. Josh listens in silence and takes in it all. He is quiet even after she is done with the story, as if contemplating. Maya grabs his fingers and twists, saying she needs advice because she HAS to make it better, HAS to make him happy again. The Matthews boy pulls his pained fingers away and rolls his eyes at her antics before pulling out a pad of paper and writing on it. He hands her a sheet with names and addresses and numbers and tells her to find and contact them, they can help Lucas out or at least advise on what to do. He gets up and hugs her in a one-sided hug as she has already started dialing, and tells her to look after the 'Cowboy' and that he's glad she has found someone she cares about and protects as much as Riley. Maya is too absorbed in the phone call to realize what he said.

Lucas wakes up the next morning to find a pint sized blonde standing over him with smile on her face. Then she pelts him with throw pillows she took from the couch and he winds up starting his day laughing. There's a slightly awkward moment when Maya tells him to get out of bed and yanks his blanket off only to realize that he sleeps in boxers. Lucas smirks at her and wiggles his eyebrows comically as her face blooms in pink blush and it feels like he's back to his old self. Except Maya know this is only temporary and as soon as he has to think about college it will all fall apart. So she tosses him a button down shirt and pair of pants and tells him to 'hopalong' cause they are going out for lunch; he has been in bed moping for too long.

Maya takes him to a small restaurant downtown that specialize in southern comfort food and orders enough shrimp and grits, mashed potatoes, fried chicken and biscuits to feed a family. He questions how she knows all of his favorite foods and she waves it off merely mentioning something about calling his mother. She can see the light return to his eyes as his belly fills and warmth exudes from him. The two of them laugh as Maya attempts to make her way though the mountain of food and when they are both full, Maya reaches for his hand. Her fingers are tiny in his large palm, but she clutches his digits with such strength. She tells him that he is not alone, even if he is seven states away. Lucas' eyes water slightly and he nods at her, small smile on his face as he realizes that she is doing all of this FOR him. And its' not because she's paying back a favor or doing it because it's what Riley would do in this situation; no, she's doing it because she WANTS to heal him, to make him happy.

Maya pays for lunch (even though Lucas complains that his southern manners demand he pays) and they head for the NYU campus where Maya explains that she got him an appointment with the NYU top guidance counselor and career specialist. She waves him off again when questioned about how she arranged this all. No need to tell him that she called in all her favors to make it happen, not when he comes out of the meeting feeling confident and motivated about what to do next semester. Maya then hands him a print out of things she's been researching. 'Maya hart, researching!' Lucas almost faints. She points out that Texas A&M has a dorm that is dedicated to students in the Veterinary program. The dorm is by the fields on the edge of campus, away from the noise and bluster of the usual college life. It allows the Vet students to have easy access to the livestock that they work on during the year. It's pretty much perfect for him. Maya already has a transfer application filled out. She sits down with Lucas, on the steps outside of the Counseling building and they discuss his options. He can retake some of the classes he has failed, maybe he can convince the professors to give him an Incomplete instead of a Fail, perhaps there's a grade forgiveness program that will wipe away the bad grade? They sit and talk for hours and every step of the way, through all the planning and pros-and-cons lists, Maya helps him.

When she walks him home later that evening she tells him there's one more thing left. She pulls out his cellphone that she somehow stole from him and downloads Skype on to it. She opens up his calender app and schedules a daily reminder for 7PM with the title 'MAYA' in bold. It's to remind him to call her every day so that they can talk, so that he knows she is always within reach. This way he know that even seven states away, he's never alone.

That indescribable look from high school is back in his eyes as he just holds her hands and stares at her. He asks her why she is doing all this. Why did she beg/bribe/barter her way to get him all this help? Maya is unable to give him an answer. What do you even call it when you would do anything to bring a smile back on someones face? She knows what it's called, she's just to scared to say it out loud, so she just stands on her tiptoes and presses a lingering kiss to his cheek, hoping it will speak for her. She bids him goodnight and smiles the whole way back to her dorm room, knowing that he will be okay.

* * *

 **College Sophomore**

* * *

Every Friday, during lunch, Maya and Riley meet up with Josh. It's become a bit of a tradition that started with him showing them the best spots around campus. Now, once every week, they gather at a previously picked location and sit and catch up on their weekly events. Josh tweaks the tradition when he asks them to meet his girlfriend, Jasmine during one of the lunches. Oddly enough, Maya and Riley know her. She's the girl they met six years ago when Maya decided to sneak onto the NYU campus to crash the party Josh was going to. Jasmine is like a perfect mix of Riley and Maya; she can be sweet and affectionate and very intelligent, but she can also rain down hell on anyone that threatens the people she cares about. She becomes a big sister for both Riley and Maya, who adore her and Josh has to always watch what he says lest he have three angry women barreling down on him. Soon enough, the four of them at regulars at some of NYU's popular eateries as Jasmine joins them for the Friday lunches.

Unfortunately, Jasmine and Josh have a quirk to their relationship. Josh worships Jasmine so much that he feels that she's too good for a flirt from Philadelphia like him. He thinks her Upper Eastside upbringing means she is out of his league. So every so often when she looks at him like the sun, he gets scared and pushes her away. Jasmine also has issues. She knows how close Josh is with his parents and family, something foreign to her and her dysfunctional family. She knows he gets excited to go back to Philadelphia every summer and winter and it makes her think that if she gets too close or too deep, he will leave her. Maya recognizes both these traits because she has suffered from them herself. She too, has thought that she wasn't worthy of someones love. She too, has feared getting left and tried to distance herself. But she doesn't want that anymore. So while Josh and Jasmine distance themselves before crashing back together in their on-again-off-again relationship, Maya want something more permanent. She wants someone who will stay with her, take care of her, laugh with her, grow old with her. She wants someone who will spend all his time with her, no matter how short they get. She's ready for it now.

* * *

It starts off as just a tickle. It causes her to sneeze as Riley is packing her bags for Philadelphia. Apparently it's Mr Feeney's birthday and Cory, Topanga and Shawn are headed back to celebrate the milestone with their old teacher. Shawn's bringing Katy along with him and Cory and Topanga are dragging Riley and Auggie along because it's a long weekend and they can all visit the grandparents along the way. Not one to be left out, Stuart Minkus decides to drag his family along so Farkle will be gone as well. Riley looks up hearing the sneeze and frowns slightly. She asks Maya if she feeling sick and when Maya vehemently denies it, she asks if Maya will be alright alone for the long weekend. Maya's not going due to a project that she has to present Monday morning, so she chose not to join the Matthews and Shawn and her mother. The blonde waves off her best friend and blames it on the dust, saying she's fine. Unfortunately, when Friday morning rolls around, it becomes clear that Maya has fallen sick.

The Matthews pick up Riley early on Friday morning, before the light of dawn peaks through the skyscrapers of New York City. Riley texts Maya to let her know she's left and to apologize for not waking her up to say goodbye. Maya, however, is in the throes of a fever dream consisting of Farkle in a frog costume, giant bumblebees and Lucas in full cowboy regalia so she doesn't realize that she's alone and very sick. In fact she does not wake up until she senses a gentle hand stroke the sweat-matted hair from her forehead and feels the cool, soothing touch of a wet towel against her neck. She blinks away sleep-drowned eyes to find Lucas sitting next to her with a concerned look.

Seems Lucas just got into town and Riley asked him to check in on her. Maya has to pinch herself to make sure she's not in the middle of one of her naughty dreams and confirm that he's really there, in her bedroom. Lucas smiles affectionately at her as she struggles to get out of bed and he easily lowers her back. He tells her in a direct, no-nonsense tone (one that makes her insides tingle) that she is too sick to go about and that he is staying to take care of her. When Maya stubbornly kick off her blankets and complains it's too hot, he cracks open the window and brings her ice to chew. The towel gets rinsed and reapplied to her scorching forehead as he continues to soothe her aches and pains. She is in awe at his dedication to take care of her. Eventually she gets bored of just lying in bed and demands to do something fun so Lucas gathers her in his arms, against protest, and carries her like a bride out to the living area. There, in front of the television are a stack of comedy and horror movies. He tells her one is to make her laugh and the other is to... make her laugh as well. Maya has always had odd taste in movies.

During their comedic/horror marathon Lucas gets up and starts banging around the kitchen and comes back fifteen minutes later with a bowl of warm chicken noodle soup, french fries and ketchup, and some cupcakes. It's the oddest combination Maya has seen but everything on the tray he carries to her makes her feel better. The chicken noodle soup warms her stomach and boosts her energy, the fries are her favorite kind from the deli down the street and the cupcakes make her grin silly smiles because they have frowny faces and 'get well soon' messages on them.

By the light coming from the window, Maya can tell it's evening and she knows she needs to start on her poster project. She makes a fuss about it when Lucas tells her to keep resting and she gets up too quickly. The floor swirls around her and the dizziness makes her collapse into Lucas' arms. Thank god he has great reflexes, otherwise she may have hit her head. Lucas sits her back on the couch and convinces her to start on the project on Saturday by bribing her with promises of chocolate and letting her use his shiny new laptop for anything she wants. She seals the deal by making him promise to let her call him 'Bucky Mcboing Boing' (his least favorite nickname) for the rest of the weekend without complaint. They stay up talking about college and laughing at old memories while they eat the grilled cheese and tomato soup Lucas makes. Maya winds up famished by dinner so she devours her grilled cheese and slurps down the soup in minutes. With barely a remark, Lucas offers her his portion, so proud that she's like his food that he is more then willing to go hungry for the night. After dinner and two more movies, Maya starts drifting off to sleep. Her last thoughts of the night are of Lucas carrying her in his arms to her bed where he tucks her in and kisses her forehead tenderly.

Lucas sneaks in through her open window the next morning with coffee and donuts from her favorite coffee shop on campus. Maya berates him for going all the way to NYU in order to get her breakfast when there is a perfectly good Starbucks around the corner from the apartment she share with Riley. He merely shrugs and says that he knows that these are her favorite before presenting her with his new laptop. Maya swoons over the latest piece of technology before she pulls up a word processor and begins typing up a storm while Lucas arranges the poster board on the ground and starts gluing Maya's drawing that she had made previously to the board, leaving enough space for her essay. He then sits on her right side, watching her as she types up her thoughts and admiring her perseverance and tenacity. Maya is too busy typing to notice that its gotten colder in her room due to the open window, but she is too lazy to do anything about it so she just pushes on. The only source of warmth is at her right forearm where it touches Lucas' left bicep. The heat calls to her, tempting her so she slowly leans into him, more and more. Eventually she is more or less in his lap, her back pressed against his chest, his chin perched on her shoulder. He has one arm around her waist, supporting her while the other is flipping though her notes as he dictates the highlighted parts to her. Maya presses deeper into him while typing onwards, relishing the comfort emanating from him.

They finish her project later in the afternoon, their only delay being due to them falling asleep in that position for a couple of hours. Lucas takes Maya's hand and drags her into the kitchen to make dinner since they worked through lunch. He sets her up with a pot of water and tells her not to screw up something as easy as Mac N' Cheese, before moving to the stove to grill some vegetables and pan fry chicken pieces before adding them and the veggies to Maya's simple pot of cheesy macaroni. He laughs at her lack of cooking ability and she sticks her tongue at him in response. They sit down on the couch again to eat and Maya reflexively curls into Lucas while they watch whatever drivel is on TV. Lucas checks her temperature once more before heading home, promising to be back one more time before he leaves tomorrow, back for Texas.

Maya is more or less back to normal on Sunday morning so she convinces Lucas to take her for a walk around the block. He begrudgingly relents, but wraps an arm around her shoulders to make sure she doesn't collapse (at least that's what her tells her). They walk down the street at their own pace, blind to the hustle and bustle of the New York City street. Maya pulls him to a deli close by in order to treat him to lunch as a thank you. There's color in her cheeks today and she's has barely coughed or sneezed. Looks like she will be fine for the project presentation tomorrow.

They sit outside with the sun lighting up Maya's hair and adding a glow to her skin. Maya places her hands on Lucas' and thanks him for taking such good care of her. He's spent almost all his long weekend taking care of her and he's barely gotten to spend time with his mother. Lucas just waves it off telling her his mother was very understanding when he told her that Maya was sick. In fact, that was her chicken noodle soup that he fed her on the first day. He gives Maya a wink and reminds her that she has always been his mother's favorite. He has to leave shortly after lunch but still stays to walk her back home. Maya kisses his cheek, far too slowly and too long for it to just be a friendly kiss, and hugs him goodbye. They make plans to Skype as soon as he gets back to his dorm in Texas and after he leaves, Maya sits down to some of his 'Chicken and Veggie Mac N' Cheese' while re-watching comedies. That's how Riley finds her later in the evening. Maya lets her check her temperature and she throws the DVD cases at Riley when the brunette saucily asks if she enjoyed playing 'Doctor' with Lucas all weekend.

* * *

 **College Junior**

* * *

The summer after Junior year should be one of the best summers of her life. She's one year from being a college graduate, most of her difficult classes are over, she just got accepted to a prestigious art fellowship based in New York and her future has never looked brighter. But despite all these accomplishments, summer turns out to be the most joyless and emptiest season of her life. Because Lucas has a girlfriend.

He brings her over to New York one weekend and introduces the young lady as Savanna, a girl one of his friends in his English Lit class set him up with. She's tall, almost his height, and her black hair shimmers and reflects the sunlight. She laughs at everything he says and drapes her arm around his, just shy of being possessive. She is friendly enough to all of them and tries to integrate with their New York lifestyle. Maya can feel her mood worsening the more Savanna giggles and she's got the beginnings of a migraine forming. They all sit down for a light lunch, making conversation as Lucas, his girlfriend, Farkle, Riley and herself try to squeeze into one of 'Topanga's' booths

Suddenly Lucas laughs at something Savanna says. It's a natural, deep guffaw that sounds warm and reminds Maya of warpaint on his face, chocolate milkshakes, grocery shopping for make-belief children and horror/comedy movie marathons. And it hurts her, deep, buried in a place only he has access to. Because her favorite laugh, hell, her favorite sound is brought about by some other girl. Her throat closes up and the edges of her eyes glisten and before she knows whats happening Riley makes some excuse for leaving the table and drags Maya outside. They barely make it around the corner before Riley crushes Maya in her arms in a hug that only a best friend is able to create. That's when Maya bursts. Because if Riley, the one other person who knows her as well or better then she knows herself, needs to comfort her; then Maya must really be breaking into a million pieces like her heart is. She's too late. She waited too long. She's lost her chance with him and she's going to regret it for the rest of her life.

Maya stays there, soaking Riley's blouse with salty tears culminating from almost ten years of loving a boy who might no longer look at her with that glowing, worshipful look. She doesn't realize how long they have been standing there until Farkle is suddenly stroking her back, whispering to Riley that they have been gone too long. Riley asks if she wants to just leave, but Maya refuses to be a coward and run away. Her best friend gently wipes the tears trailing down her cheeks and tugs her towards the table they left. As they walk up, Lucas look right at Maya, his viridian gaze piercing through her, laying her bare. There's a sadness there, and beneath that, a longing that is probably reflected in her eyes. But he's still Lucas Friar, still the last gentleman in Manhattan; so he's going stay seated where he is, next to the girl he came with, a girl who's not her.

* * *

She's not sure how it happens but she is wandering around campus at 6AM and winds up at the campus coffee shop by the Graduate students dorm. Sitting at a nearby table with a large black coffee and blueberry muffin is Josh. She's not sure how she knew he would be here, but she did. It's perplexing that she comes to the boy she used to love in order to talk about the boy she now loves. Maya notices that Jasmine isn't with him, and whether it's because it's early or because they are on another one of their 'breaks', she doesn't know. He's surprised to see her but still offers her a seat and stays quiet as all her pent up emotions bubble through. She tells him nothing has ever hurt this much, that nothing has ever mattered this much. She blubbers about how she always thought that Lucas would be there for her and feels so stupid because that never meant he would stay single while she sorted out her feelings. She finally says the words that she's been keeping locked up in her heart. She loves Lucas, is IN love with Lucas. Josh smiles at her and tells her he's not the one she should be saying all this to.

Maya's not sure what to do now. She ask Josh how she is supposed to continue when Lucas is now someone elses to hold and love. How does she continue like normal knowing that life has changed, that their game is forever changed? He squeezes her hand and looks her in the eye as he tells her, "No one ever said the long game was easy."

* * *

A few weeks later Riley convinces her to play some complicated board game that's a cross between Monopoly and Candyland. They are seated in the living area and Maya is still confused how she seems to be winning when she doesn't even know the rules, when her computer lights up and a Skype call comes through. Lucas is calling. They both say hi and wave to him, asking about college and Texas, but when she asks about Savanna, Lucas hesitates before telling them that they decided to break up. Riley excuses herself and steps into the kitchen, allowing Maya and Lucas some privacy. Maya asks him about it but he just tells her the relationship was doomed from the start because she wasn't what he wanted and she wasn't willing to take a chance on him. Also, she didn't like New York, and Lucas would never be able to give up New York City and the people there that he loves. He's looking at her with that look again and she blushes involuntarily. After he hangs up, Maya just stares at the screen where his face used to be until Riley walks up to her and drops the dice from the Monopoly set in her hands and tells her "It's your turn to roll the dice."

* * *

 **College Senior**

* * *

Summer after graduating is the busiest summer any of them have faced. They have been up and down the country trying to sort out their post-graduate lives and things are still hectic. First, they had to drive down to Texas. Lucas' graduation was a week before Riley and Maya's at NYU so they all decided to support and cheer for their favorite cowboy at the ceremony. Maya is on her feet hooting and hollering in a conservative dress and her monogrammed leather jacket as soon as Lucas name is called. People stare at her perplexed as she shouts "Yeah, Huckleberry!" and "Congrats Ranger Rick!" She runs ahead of everyone and hugs him the second he walks out of the hall to greet them and he has his arm around her the whole time he shakes hands with other guests.

After Texas they are back in New York for Riley's and her graduation. Since the two of them graduate in different programs, the graduation ceremonies are in different buildings and everyone is rushing across the campus in suits and dresses in order to ensure they don't miss anything. Cory and Shawn cry at both ceremonies and hold each other for support while a teary Topanga engulfs them both so very proud of their accomplishments. Katy stares wistfully at Maya, taking in the fact that her baby girl has grown up and graduated college, therefore surpassing her mother. She breaks down in Shawn's arms as she and Maya cling to each other and sob for almost an hour. Farkle and Lucas stand to the side but their presence is felt. Farkle kisses both girls on the cheek and slings his arms around their shoulder jokingly claiming them, while saying "Ma' women!" Lucas kisses Riley's cheek and whispers that he's is so very glad she fell into his lap on that train ride so very long ago because she is one of his best friends and he is proud to share this day with her. With Maya he simply pulls her into his arms before lifting her up and spinning her around. She stretches her arms out and feels free and loved. He kisses her quickly as he lowers her down and grips her hand when he tells her he has never been more proud, not even at his own graduation. Then he plants a giant, pink cowgirl hat on her head that says 'Graduate'.

Farkle's graduation is the next day so they never actually change out of their clothes. Stuart Minkus flies them out to New Haven and the regal affair of a Yale graduation is different from the other graduations so far, but it doesn't stop Maya from whooping when Farkle Minkus is called onto the stage to receive his diploma. They stay for the Yale formal dinner party to honor the graduates (Lucas says it's the polite thing to do) before they fly back to New York for the biggest combined graduation party ever.

It takes them a couple of weeks to recover from all the chaos of multiple graduations and parties, but they do. Then Maya tries to get back to life in New York. The fellowship she's in is providing her with many great opportunities and she wants to dedicate time to her art before she decides to go and pursue her teaching license. Lucas and Farkle are back in New York again while they decide on their plans for the future and Riley is interning at a PR firm that specializes in charities. Life seems to finally going perfectly for them all and it inspires Riley to arrange a fancy dinner for the four of them to celebrate all their triumphs. She calls an elegant restaurant located near the Upper Eastside to book a table for four and insists that they all dress for the part. Maya rolls her eyes but is secretly excited because maybe they all need to have a night together. She wears the red dress she wore for high school graduation and since she's more or less the same height as she was back then, it fits her perfectly. Riley texts her that she is running late and will meet them there so Maya takes a cab to the restaurant where, sitting at the bar is a sharply dressed Lucas Friar. His eyes widen as he watches her walk up to him in her favorite heels and it triggers a memory of when she last wore that dress. He pulls her chair out for her and calls her beautiful in a soft voice, and even though it's cheesy and cliched, she blushes.

Farkle arrives with Riley shortly after and they all take their seats at their table. The night is spent on drinks and shared appetizers while they talk about plans. Lucas says he's gotten a dozen offers from veterinary clinics around Texas, but he's going to accept an offer to work at a small clinic here in New York. Something in Maya's stomach warms up and she's sure its got nothing to do with the alcohol. Riley smiles like they are back in middle school, young and innocent and with their whole lives in front of them and Maya thinks maybe it still is. The boys look handsome and the girls are ethereal and she has this immense hope for the rest of her life, knowing that good things will happen for them all.

Riley has one too many fruity alcoholic drinks with tiny umbrellas and she begins to giggle uncontrollably so Farkle volunteers to drive her home. Maya insists that she is not leaving without experiencing the dessert labeled as 'New York's most decadent chocolate cake' and Lucas smiles from ear to ear ordering a slice for the two of them to share. They stay til closing time, talking, smiling and picking off chunks of chocolate cake that melts in their mouths. Lucas pays the bill and they decide to take the scenic route to the metro station since the weather is nice outside.

Maya wraps her arm around Lucas' as they meander through the New York streets close to her apartment. She asks him why he chose the small veterinary clinic outside the city when he could have gotten a bigger salary and better benefits working in Texas. Lucas merely tilts his head as he looks at her, surprised she hasn't puzzled it out yet. He stops them, under a streetlight and take her chin between his thumb and finger. He tells her he came back to New York because it is where she is, and no job or opportunity could compare with just getting to spend time with her. Maya grins goofily at him and smacks her lips against his, drunk on something besides the alcohol. Her fingers clench in his shirt and his arm goes round her waist, tightening as he pulls her closer. This kiss is different from the previous ones they have shared. It's infinitely softer and slower, like they both realize that they have the rest of their lives together to appreciate and take care of each other. When Maya pulls back, she is a little breathless and the city seems brighter even though it's close to midnight. Neither of them say anything even though they have both been waiting years for this. Maya pulls Lucas towards the end of the street where her building is located. When they reach the entrance, she looks at him expectantly with an eyebrow raised. Is he coming in? Is he staying for coffee? Are they finally going to decide what they are? Lucas just smiles at her, tells her its late and kisses her cheek before he wishes her goodnight. She walks up the steps and at the door turns back to see him standing there looking at her like she's the sun and the stars and the moon and the whole world to him. She goes to bed listening to Riley's light snoring and dreaming of a future with seafoam eyes, gentle smiles and kisses that make her stomach flutter and heart race.

* * *

It's later in the week that she meets up with Josh for their weekly Friday tradition. She gets to the restaurant early in order to sketch some ideas into her sketch book. Josh arrives early as well, saying he got out of work early. When asked if Jasmine is joining them, he shrugs and mentions that they are giving each other space, again. Maya laughs at the absurdity of two people who fit so well together, yet who are too afraid to take the next step in their relationship. She wiggles her groomed eyebrow at him and jokingly asks if she is old enough for him, now that he is single. She's taken aback when Josh answers 'Yes'.

Josh tells her that she is old enough now. She is old enough to know what she wants; old enough to be comfortable with who she is; mature enough to support someone she cares about and mature enough to accept support from the people who care about her. She now knows what she wants for her future and who she wants in it. She's old enough to know what she wants in a real relationship. So if she really wants a date, then he will say yes, but he's pretty sure she wants a relationship with someone else.

Maya's stunned. He knew. All this time Josh has known how this would all turn out. Hell, he probably knew way back in 7th grade when she first told him she was in it for the long game. He knew that three years too old meant three years of differing experience; that she would share those experiences with another boy. He knew that she would grow at her own pace in high school and college and that there would be someone there, growing with her right by her side. Someone she would grow to love and cherish and see a future with. Joshua Matthews must be a genius, because he has always known!

She leaps to her feet and hugs Josh. She needed this push, this new perspective on her life. It turns out that she has been playing the long game all this time; she just never realized that she had changed partners. She shouts to him to get his act together and tell Jasmine his feelings as she runs outside and crashes into a confused Riley. She tells Riley that she can't make lunch because she has to go, she has to tell Lucas she loves him. Riley grins, mouth full of teeth and pushes Maya towards the direction of Lucas' apartment. Even halfway down the street, Maya can hear her best friend's "YAAAAAAAAAY!" echoing across the city.

Her fist bangs loudly on his door and she's trying to catch her breath from running all the way here. Her hair is a mess and her jacket is falling off her shoulders but when he opens the door and looks at her she feels beautiful. She always feels beautiful whenever he looks at her like that. She can see past him to the table where there is a bowl of goopy Mac N" Cheese and it makes her smile brightly. She tells him she wants a chance at making 'them' a reality, she wants to try a real relationship with him. She wants to try the 'long game' with him. So she asks him, standing there in the doorway to his apartment, if he wants to 'take her to a movie, put their hand in some popcorn and see where it takes them'. Because she is pretty sure it will take them some place wonderful.

Lucas grins and tells her yes but they should skip the movie and popcorn because they took long enough getting to this point. Maya shakes her head with a laugh and leans in to him, kissing him fully. He whispers 'I love you so damn much' and embeds it onto her lips before pulling her further into the room and shutting the door. His arms reach to her waist and he hikes her up so she can wrap her legs around him as he pushes them towards the wall for support. Maya can't stop giggling and smiling and kissing him. She whispers 'I love you' again and again each time she drops kisses on his face and he catches them all with his lips, swallowing the words with his tongue and pulling the love deep inside him. They spend the entire night in each others arms and both of them are ignorant of the dozens of texts that Riley sends them consisting of billions of smiley face emojis.

 **1 Year Later**

Maya Hart has never been happier with her life. She has an awesome best friend who makes her life brighter and full of joy, a Farkle (because he's in a class of his own) that supports her through thick and thin, and a boyfriend (she still gets butterflies when she calls him that) who loves everything about her and takes every opportunity to tell AND show her. Riley's internship at the PR firm has blossomed into a full-time paying job and she gets to spend time saving and improving the lives of small children, people in need and cute animals. Her goal is to make ensure that everyone in the world always has a healthy meal, good housing and a warm coat. Farkle works alongside Eric in politics. He is the brains and plans to Eric's heart and good intentions. He still tells them he plans to rule the world. Lucas works at a veterinary clinic outside New York City. He gets to work with a lot of animals and all the mounted police and carriage drivers bring their horses to him for check ups and physicals. He tells everyone that he know the names of every single horse in the city. It's probably true. Maya has had a couple art shows around the city and collaborated with many big names in the art industry. She sometimes has to do shows in other states but she always comes back within a week because she misses Lucas too much. Maya moves in with Lucas after Riley gets offered her full time position and they spend most nights curled up watching TV, eating something Lucas made or snuggling in bed, mumbling about their day so they get to fall asleep to each others voice.

Riley, Maya and Josh continue their Friday tradition, except Jasmine, Farkle and Lucas are now permanent members to the little group. Josh and Jasmine have been going strong for more then a year now and Maya is pretty certain that there is only more happiness in their future. Riley and Farkle have started playing a will-they-won't-they game that she feels she spent a decade playing. Maya resolves to have a serious conversation with her best friend and tell her to woman up and insist on a date if they keep beating around the bush. Lucas almost always joins them for lunch as long as he's not called in to help with an emergency at the veterinary clinic. It's a close group and Maya is glad that they have reached a point in their lives where they can focus on being happy.

Friday rolls around one summer afternoon and she goes to meet Riley, Josh and Jasmine. Farkle is spending the day with Eric going over public policy, and Lucas texted her to say he couldn't make it because something came up at work. Riley, Josh and Jasmine are already sitting at a quaint outdoor cafe talking in hushed tones when she arrives and Riley jumps up and enthusiastically hugs her. It's not too odd because as everyone knows, Riley Matthews is a hugger. Josh and Jasmine greet her and they all sit down to a nice light lunch while talking about their week. Maya finds the lunch peculiar though because Jasmine keeps asking how she and Lucas are, and Riley and Josh keep smiling big, goofy grins at her. Must be a Matthews thing.

Before they finish up, Riley inquires about Maya's plans for the rest of the day which is strange because they spent all of the previous night rescheduling any plans they had so they could have a girls-night-in. Maya reaffirms that she's free and Josh mentions that today is the 'Matthews Family Game night' and Cory has finally bought the fabled 'Friends' game. Riley claps her hands and demands that they all go play the game that was promised many years ago. The blonde laughs at her goofball best friend and promises her that she will join them. She calls up Lucas to let him know and he laughs at the memory of them all crowded around the Matthews apartment til the early morning, playing a board game. He says he will join them, albeit a little late due to being stuck at work. He hangs up, but not before telling her that he loves her and is thinking about her. Maya smiles affectionately at her phone even after they have hung up. Lucas is always letting her know how much he loves her with cards or small gifts. She feels so lucky to have him in her life.

The four of them walk up the Matthews apartment, laughing and reliving the last time time they played together on Family Game night. Josh talks in his gameshow host voice and Maya and Riley tell Jasmine about how they all switched partners, and how Auggie was the perfect husband at five years old. As Josh unlocks the door he nods to Maya and says "Ladies first." Maya quirks an eyebrow, hoping there isn't a bucket of water that will fall on top of her when she enters, but pushes to door open anyway.

The inside of the Matthews household is dimly lit due to heavy curtains blocking the windows and the ceiling is covered with white Christmas lights dotting the top like stars in the sky. Standing around the living room, in a half circle facing her are all the important people in her life. Cory, Topanga, Katy, Shawn, her grandmother, Eric, Farkle, Farkle's parents, Lucas' mother, Riley's grandparents, her friends from high school, college and the art fellowship; everyone she shares her life with. And standing in the center of semi-circle is Lucas, dressed in the suit she really likes on him (and likes even more off him and on the floor of their bedroom). He has a sheepish, bashful smile on his face that makes Maya's heart pick up speed. She turns to Riley with wide eyes and her breath caught in her throat. Riley is grinning a full 100-watt smile at her, and Josh has his arm around Jasmine who has watery eyes and is curled into her boyfriend. Both are smiling down at her. Maya turns back to Lucas, who is obviously not stuck at work. He walks towards her and gathers her in his arms and she bites her lower lip in an attempt not to cry. He tells her he spent almost 10 years falling in love with her, growing with her and loving the person she has been and the person she has become. He loves the way they take care of each other and how they share everything together. He tells her he wants to share the rest of his life together with her. So he gets down on one knee and pulls out a blue velvet ring box and grabs her left hand as tears stream down her face.

"So what do you say, Shortstack? Want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

"Hell yeah, Huckleberry. Didn't I tell you? I'm in it for the long game."

 **A couple of things:**

 **I'm fully aware that Maya uses Lucas' full name before 'Girl meets Game Night' (she says it in 'Girl meets Flaws'). I altered things to make this moment in the fic, the first time she say his name to him.**

 **This fic was dreamed up after Girl meets Rules aired, and I actually started it after Girl meets Hurricane so moments from episode after that don't appear here.**

 **I know not having Zay in this may be a sin, but I wasn't sure how to write him in character.**

 **Miss Valentine, the FCS teacher from 11th grade is and OC created by 'tiramisuspice'. Read her fics! They are marvelous and inspiring. She also shows up in my 'Through Anothers Eyes'**

 **Yes, Cory becomes principal in their 12th year. Be honest, it was bound to happen and I foresee it happening in the real series as well.**

 **The scene of them in the Math class room after graduation is my favorite scene. I actually thought it up before this story was even created. It's the thing that created this fic. I hope it inspires you guys to dream up moments like that too.**

 **If some scenes seem more put together then others, it's because typing up a page at 2 AM when you have work the next day tends to rush you. I went back and reworked everything to make it flow better but if it seems off, I'm sorry. Promise to put more effort on the next epic fic.**

 **The "It's your turn to roll the dice" is symbolic. You got that right?**

 **There is only supposed to be one conversation in the entire thing, right at the end at the Matthews house where Lucas asks a very important question and Maya gives her answer. Unfortunately, the fic needed a few 'speaking' moments to help with the flow. I tried to ensure, though, that the only conversation between 2 people was between Lucas and Maya.**


End file.
